1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a water-dispersed aerogel and a method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to a water-dispersed aerogel, which has an eco-friendly composition that contains an organic solvent in a decreased amount while increasing ease of use of aerogel microparticles in a liquid phase, and to a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Silica aerogel in an ultrafine powder phase has a very low bulk density (about 0.04˜0.1 g/cm3), and the volume thereof is very large relative to the weight, thus increasing the transport cost and requiring a large space upon storage. Hence, workability may become poor and storage costs may increase. In particular, the case where silica aerogel in an ultrafine powder phase is used may undesirably generate dust, and thus the available applications of such an aerogel are limited. To solve these problems, research is ongoing into dispersion of silica aerogel in a liquid phase using an organic solvent. Although the silica aerogel dispersion solution in a liquid phase manufactured using an organic solvent is easily handled and the workability thereof may be improved, it may become gel due to dispersion instability upon long-term storage. Hence, a silica aerogel dispersion solution using an organic solvent has to be directly produced on-site. Further, when the silica aerogel dispersion solution using an organic solvent, as supplied from manufacturers, becomes a gel, the gelled silica aerogel has to be re-dispersed through treatment before use, which is regarded as disadvantageous in terms of process efficiency and profitability. To overcome the gelation of the silica aerogel dispersion solution using the organic solvent, an auxiliary agent such as an additive, a pH modifier, a surfactant, or a stabilizer may be used. In this case, however, inherent superhydrophobic and porous properties of the silica aerogel in an ultrafine powder phase may drastically change upon drying. Furthermore, the auxiliary agent is unlikely to be removed through treatment before the manufacturing process. If such removal is possible, economic benefits may be negated due to the additional process. Accordingly, there is required to develop a water-dispersed aerogel having an eco-friendly composition, which is in a liquid phase and is thus easily handled, and may be directly applied to the manufacturing process without the addition of an auxiliary agent to thereby improve profitability and workability.